Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with liver fibrosis in individuals with type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Predictive performance of noninvasive factors for liver fibrosis in severe obesity: a screening based on machine learning models

Objectives

Liver fibrosis resulting from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic disorders is highly prevalent in patients with severe obesity and poses a significant health challenge. However, there is a lack of data on the effectiveness of noninvasive factors in predicting liver fibrosis. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between these factors and liver fibrosis through a machine learning approach.

Methods

This study involved 512 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at an outpatient clinic in Mashhad, Iran, between December 2015 and September 2021. Patients were divided into fibrosis and non-fibrosis groups and demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were applied to develop four machine learning models: Naive Bayes (NB), logistic regression (LR), Neural Network (NN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM).

Results

Among the 28 variables considered, six variables including (fasting blood sugar (FBS), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), hemoglobin, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and triglycerides) showed high area under the curve (AUC) values for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis using 2D shear wave elastography (SWE) with LR (0.73, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.81) and SVM (0.72, 59% CI: 0.64, 0.80) models. Furthermore, the highest sensitivities were reported with SVM (0.83, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.91) and NB (0.66, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.77) models, respectively.

Conclusion

The predictive performance of six noninvasive factors of liver fibrosis was significantly superior to other factors, showing high application and accuracy in the diagnosis and prognosis of liver fibrosis.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-025-01564-1.

Potential predictive role of Non-HDL to HDL Cholesterol Ratio (NHHR) in MASLD: focus on obese and type 2 diabetic populations

INTRODUCTION

This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the association between the ratio of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (NHHR) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), particularly in populations with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

The analysis included 3784 participants who were 20 years and older, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018. The prevalence of MASLD was determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis, which calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Conducted was an analysis employing a smooth curve fitting approach to explore the potential nonlinear association between NHHR and MASLD. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and T2D status to evaluate the robustness of the results, with interaction tests conducted.

RESULTS

NHHR showed a consistently positive association with MASLD across all models. In the fully adjusted model, compared with the low NHHR group, participants in the middle and high NHHR group were associated with higher prevalence of MASLD (OR = 1.51, 95%CI = 1.25-1.83, p < 0.001, OR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.62-2.41, p < 0.001, respectively). This positive relationship was significant across all subgroups, confirming a robust association between NHHR and MASLD.

CONCLUSIONS

This cross-sectional study found a significant linear positive relationship between NHHR and MASLD, which remained significant across different age, sex, BMI and T2D groups. These findings suggest that NHHR may have the potential to serve as a predictor for screening MASLD in populations with obesity or T2D.

Effects of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease on Bone Density and Fragility Fractures: Associations and Mechanisms

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has profound adverse effects on bone health and homeostasis. MASLD appears to be associated with changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture rate. However, the data are ambiguous and conflicting. Although several studies have shown that children and adolescents with MASLD have decreased BMD, the data on the prevalence of fragility fractures among children are scarce. In adults, increasing evidence suggests that MASLD decreases BMD and increases the risk of fragility fractures, which appears to be due to deterioration of bone architecture in addition to a decrease in BMD. Effects of MASLD on bone health may also be age- and race-specific. MASLD does not seem to increase fracture risk in children and adolescents but increases the risk of fractures in elderly men, especially those of Asian origin. From a mechanistic perspective, bone remodeling is a continuous process between osteoblasts (bone-forming) and osteoclasts (bone-resorbing), with any imbalance resulting in metabolic bone disease. In individuals with MASLD, loss of anabolic insulin receptor signaling (insulin resistance) in osteoblasts and increased receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK)/RANK ligand signaling in osteoclasts (proinflammatory cytokines) swings the pendulum toward accelerated bone loss. These processes are further complicated by the concomitant presence of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or sarcopenia in individuals with MASLD. This study reviews the current literature associated with the effects of MASLD on BMD and fragility fractures in children/adolescents and adults. This review also discusses the pathomechanisms that link MASLD with changes in BMD and fragility fractures.

Prevalence of sarcopenia and its determinants in people with type 2 diabetes: Experience from a tertiary care hospital in north India

OBJECTIVES

Changes in skeletal muscle mass and quality are associated with type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and its complications. We evaluated the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with T2D and its association with various anthropometric and metabolic parameters.

METHODS

A total of 229 patients with T2D, ≥20-60 years, were screened for sarcopenia using handgrip strength (HGS) by dynamometer, physical performance test (by Short Physical and chair stand test), and height-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) applying Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS). Multiple logistic regressions were performed to identify the factors associated with sarcopenia.

RESULTS

The mean age was 46.2 ± 7.4 years with 55% being women. The prevalence of low HGS, poor physical performance, low ASMI, possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia, and severe sarcopenia was 16.2%, 39.3%, 33%, 43%, 18.8%, and 6.1%, respectively. Age >45 years and use of >2 oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA's) were risk factors for low HGS (OR:3.51, 95%CI = 1.5-8.3) and low ASMI (OR:2.40, 95%CI = 1.05, 5.49, p-0.04), respectively. Female sex (OR:3.3 1.8-6.1 p < 0.01), age >45 years (OR:2.12, 95% CI = 1.2-3.8 p-0.012) and liver fibrosis (OR: 2.12, 95% CI = 1.01-4.46 p-0.048) were independently associated with poor performance. No association was found with HbA1c, dyslipidaemia, albuminuria, hypertension, or duration of diabetes and sarcopenia.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant complication in younger individuals with T2D, and poor physical performance plays a vital role in its development. The prevalence of sarcopenia rises with advancing age, underscoring the importance of early intervention to address this condition.

Association of liver function with health-related physical fitness: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

In this study, by analyzing the correlation between various components of health-related physical fitness (HPF) and liver function indicators, the indicators of physical fitness that were highly correlated with liver function and could be monitored at home were screened to prevent more serious liver disease in the future, and to provide experimental basis for prescribing personalized exercise.

METHODS

A total of 330 faculties (female = 198) of a university were recruited. The indicators of HPF and liver function were measured. Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression, and cross-lagged panel model was used to data statistics.

RESULTS

In males, body fat (BF) was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT); vital capacity and the vital capacity index were positively correlated with albumin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with globulin and negatively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation among all indicators controlled confounding factors. In females, BF was negatively correlated with direct bilirubin; VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio and significantly negatively correlated with globulin (P < 0.05). Controlled confounding factors, body fat percentage was positively correlated with globulin (β = 0.174) and negatively correlated with direct bilirubin (β = -0.431), and VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin (β = 0.238, P < 0.05). Cross-lagged panel analysis showed that BF percentage can negatively predict direct bilirubin levels with great significance (β = -0.055, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

HPF may play a crucial role in liver function screening, particularly for female faculty members. For males, BF, vertical jump, vital capacity and vital capacity index could be associated with liver function but are susceptible to complex factors such as age, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. In females, BF percentage is an important predictor of abnormal liver function in addition to VO2max and vertical jump, which are not affected by complex factors.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-related fibrosis and sarcopenia: An altered liver-muscle crosstalk leading to increased mortality risk

In the last few decades, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, has significantly increased in prevalence, becoming a major global public health concern. On the other hand, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has also reached pandemic proportions, constituting the leading cause of hepatic fibrosis worldwide. Remarkably, while sarcopenia and NAFLD-related fibrosis are independently associated with all-cause mortality, the combination of both conditions entails a greater risk for all-cause and cardiac-specific mortality. Interestingly, both sarcopenia and NAFLD-related fibrosis share common pathophysiological pathways, including insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, hyperammonemia, alterations in the regulation of myokines, sex hormones and growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling, which may explain reciprocal connections between these two disorders. Additional contributing factors, such as the gut microbiome, may also play a role in this relationship. In skeletal muscle, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and myostatin signaling are the central anabolic and catabolic pathways, respectively, and the imbalance between them can lead to muscle wasting in patients with NAFLD-related fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the bidirectional influence between NAFLD-related fibrosis and sarcopenia, highlighting the main potential mechanisms involved in this complex crosstalk, and we discuss the synergistic effects of both conditions in overall and cardiovascular mortality.

Association Between Skeletal Muscle Mass and Severity of Steatosis and Fibrosis in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background

Sarcopenia is known to be the risk factor of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, studies evaluating the association of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) with liver fibrosis by transient elastography are limited. Here, we investigated the association of SMM with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis assessed in Chinese adults.

Methods

Patients who underwent liver ultrasonography at the Health Promotion Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2020 to June 2021 were enrolled. We used transient elastography to evaluate the degree of hepatic fat and liver stiffness. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass was determined by bioelectrical impedance and was adjusted for body weight to derive the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI).

Results

Of 3,602 finally enrolled individuals, 1,830 had NAFLD and 1,772 did not have NAFLD. SMI gradually decreased as the severity of hepatic steatosis increased (40.47 ± 3.94% vs. 39.89 ± 3.57% vs. 39.22 ± 3.46% vs. 37.81 ± 2.84%, P < 0.001). Individuals with F3-F4 and F2 liver fibrosis groups had significantly lower SMI than individuals with F0-F1 stages (37.51 ± 3.19% vs. 38.06 ± 3.51% vs. 39.36 ± 3.38%, P < 0.001). As the SMI increased, the percentages of subjects with mild and severe NAFLD, and the percentages of subjects in F2 and F3-F4 stage were gradually decreased. SMI was independently associated with the severity of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis by logistic regression analysis. Moreover, decreased SMI was an independent risk factor for NAFLD and fibrosis.

Conclusion

SMI is closely associated with liver fat content and liver fibrosis in Chinese adults with NAFLD.

Sex- and region-specific associations of skeletal muscle mass with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

INTRODUCTION

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is known to be the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, and accumulating evidence suggests that skeletal muscle might play an important role in metabolic health. However, the association between skeletal muscle and MAFLD is poorly understood so far. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the associations of skeletal muscle with MAFLD and significant fibrosis.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data obtained from the 2017-2018 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The whole-body, appendicular, and trunk skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. MAFLD and significant fibrosis were assessed by transient elastography. Survey-weight adjusted multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine the associations. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and variable importance scores from the random forest and logistic regression model were calculated to assess the predictive capability of variables and models.

RESULTS

Of the 2065 participants, those with appendicular SMI in the highest quartile were associated with a lower risk for MAFLD in both sexes (male, OR[95%CI]: 0.46 [0.25~0.84]; female, OR[95%CI]: 0.32 [0.13~0.82]), but with a significantly different scale of the associations between sexes (P _interaction = 0.037). However, females with trunk SMI in the highest quartile had an increased risk of significant fibrosis (OR[95%CI]: 7.82 [1.86~32.77]). Trunk SMI and appendicular SMI ranked the third contributor to MAFLD in random forest and logistic regression models, respectively. Taking appendicular and trunk SMI into consideration, the AUCs for MAFLD were 0.890 and 0.866 in random forest and logistic regression models, respectively.

DISCUSSION

The distribution of skeletal muscle mass differently affects MAFLD and significant fibrosis in the sex groups. Higher appendicular skeletal muscle mass was associated with a lower risk of MAFLD, while the risk of significant fibrosis in females was increased with the trunk skeletal muscle mass.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Lean and Non-Obese Individuals: Current and Future Challenges

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which approximately affects a quarter of the world’s population, has become a major public health concern. Although usually associated with excess body weight, it may also affect normal-weight individuals, a condition termed as lean/non-obese NAFLD. The prevalence of lean/non-obese NAFLD is around 20% within the NAFLD population, and 5% within the general population. Recent data suggest that individuals with lean NAFLD, despite the absence of obesity, exhibit similar cardiovascular- and cancer-related mortality compared to obese NAFLD individuals and increased all-cause mortality risk. Lean and obese NAFLD individuals share several metabolic abnormalities, but present dissimilarities in genetic predisposition, body composition, gut microbiota, and susceptibility to environmental factors. Current treatment of lean NAFLD is aimed at improving overall fitness and decreasing visceral adiposity, with weight loss strategies being the cornerstone of treatment. Moreover, several drugs including PPAR agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, or GLP-1 receptor agonists could also be useful in the management of lean NAFLD. Although there has been an increase in research regarding lean NAFLD, there are still more questions than answers. There are several potential drugs for NAFLD therapy, but clinical trials are needed to evaluate their efficacy in lean individuals.

The Association between Low Muscle Mass and Hepatic Steatosis in Asymptomatic Population in Korea

Background: An association between low muscle mass and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested. We investigated this relationship using controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Methods: A retrospective cohort of subjects had liver FibroScan^® (Echosens, Paris, France) and bioelectrical impedance analyses during health screening exams. Low muscle mass was defined based on appendicular skeletal muscle mass/body weight ratios of one (class I) or two (class II) standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for healthy young adults. Results: Among 960 subjects (58.1 years; 67.4% male), 344 (45.8%, class I) and 110 (11.5%, class II) had low muscle mass. After adjusting for traditional metabolic risk factors, hepatic steatosis, defined as a CAP ≥ 248 dB/m, was associated with low muscle mass (class I, odds ratio (OR): 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38–2.78; class II, OR: 3.33, 95% CI: 1.77–6.26). A dose-dependent association between the grade of steatosis and low muscle mass was also found (class I, OR: 1.88, for CAP ≥ 248, <302; OR: 2.19, in CAP ≥ 302; class II, OR: 2.33, for CAP ≥ 248, <302; OR: 6.17, in CAP ≥ 302). High liver stiffness was also significantly associated with an increased risk of low muscle mass (class I, OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.31–2.95; class II, OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.51–5.78). Conclusion: Hepatic steatosis is independently associated with low muscle mass in a dose-dependent manner. The association between hepatic steatosis and low muscle mass suggests that particular attention should be given to subjects with NAFLD for an adequate assessment of muscle mass.